EU Presidency Statement - 2001-2010: Decade to Roll Back Malaria in Developing Countries

Mr. President,

I have the honor to speak on behalf of the European Union. The Acceding Countries Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia, the Associated Countries Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey, and the EFTA country Norway, member of the European Economic Area, align themselves with this statement.

This important debate is yet another indication of the attention that malaria control and prevention have received throughout the international community, particularly after the WHO together with UNICEF, UNDP and the World Bank founded the Roll Back Malaria Partnership and the holding of the Abuja summit in 2000. Over the last few years, we have seen a change in attitude that has brought malaria high on the agenda of governments, international organizations and development programs. Through the Roll Back Malaria initiative and the Global Fund, a new form of cooperative partnership has started between low-income countries and the donor community.

The European Union warmly welcomes such developments. We recognize the need for more resources to implement concrete actions but, at the same time, we must be aware that these resources are limited and should be used primarily to create continuity in awareness and support. This means day-by-day support at the root level involving governments, local communities and aid agencies in a participatory manner, in order to meet the targets agreed upon for the Decade to Roll Back Malaria.

We fully endorse the final declaration of the Second Summit of the African Union, where Heads of State confirmed that the fight against HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis is a priority for the continent. The burden of these diseases and their impact on the population are heavy and they inevitably affect development initiatives planned within NEPAD and the G8 Plan for Africa.

This year, more than a million people will die from malaria. Many more will contract the disease. Of the 500 million people suffering from malaria, 450 million (who represent 90% of the total) are the Sub-Saharan Africa's poorest citizens. In addition, we are aware that malaria costs Africa from 10 to 12 billion US dollars annually in its Gross Domestic Product. This includes medical costs, missed schooling, lower productivity, fewer foreign direct investments and lower tourism revenues. Moreover, malaria claims the lives of many African children every day. The EU expresses its deepest concern for this situation and its willingness to act to reverse it.

To end this cycle of suffering and poverty, governments and the private sector are accelerating malaria research. As we pick up the pace on malaria research, we must also greatly expand existing prevention, care and treatment approaches, which are mutually dependent. Global funding against malaria will require resources matching the scale of the crisis. About 60 million dollars a year are invested in malaria research and 200 million dollars are spent annually to treat impoverished patients and distribute mosquito nets and insecticides. In this regard, the EU is committed to strengthening and increasing financial support for research and development.

Mr. President,

Allow me to describe briefly the actions we have undertaken so far. Under the last European framework programme (1998-2002), we implemented 26 different research projects on malaria at a cost of over 30 million Euros. Nearly 100 research institutions based in 15 African countries, 11 European countries and 5 Asian and South American countries participated in the project. Through this partnership to tackle malaria, we encourage strengthened co-operation within the framework of international initiatives like the European Malaria Vaccine Initiative, the African Malaria Vaccine Trial Network and the new European-Developing Countries Clinical Trial Partnership.

Furthermore - following also the recommendations made in General Assembly resolution 57/294 on the Decade to Roll back Malaria - last July the European Parliament and Council adopted a Regulation on assistance in fighting poverty-related diseases in developing countries, namely HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. In the allocation of funding and expertise, priority shall be given to the Least Developed Countries and the most disadvantaged sections of the population. The financial framework for the implementation of this Regulation for the period 2003 to 2006 is set at 351 million Euros.

The EU has also noted that, in spite of the fact that most of the key pharmaceuticals are off-patent, few developing countries have sufficient capacity to manufacture them. Moreover, for the time being, available drugs are not well suited for developing countries and malaria drugs are becoming less and less effective as a result of increasing parasite resistance. We should, therefore, find new drugs appropriate to Africa's special needs and take into account local distribution problems and cold chain availability.

In this regard, we encourage interested parties, especially the pharmaceutical industry, to promote sustainable local production for national and regional markets, aiming at transfer of technology. For this reason, the EU and its Member States fully endorse the Doha Declaration on the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property rights and Public Health.

Mr. President,

Many African countries are working to fight malaria, but they cannot do it alone. Like HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, this disease requires a well-coordinated, comprehensive and consistent response, which is beyond the financial and human resources of many developing countries. Because of their magnitude and trans-national nature, poverty-related disease requires a systematic response by the international community. In this respect, we commend the proactive role played by the United Nations and by the World Health Organization.

We believe public health is a public responsibility. Actions targeted at the poverty-related disease must be carried out within the larger context of improving health care systems in developing countries and making these systems accessible to all. The improvement of health care is a precondition for and a key element of sustainable development. The EU is committed to providing partner countries with assistance consistent with their own development plans, thus taking into account the overall objective of improving the population's health and reducing poverty.

If the international community is capable of building a true global partnership with effective tools, and if developed and developing countries and public and private sectors are able to work together toward this common goal, we strongly believe that malaria can be definitively rolled back throughout the world, as it has been in Europe.

Thank you.

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